The nineteenth of April marks two hundred forty-three years since a ragtag bunch of colonials gave one of the world’s greatest empires a run for its money. The battles of Lexington and Concord illustrate what happens when tyranny pushes men to the brink.

For years, the American colonists had been oppressed by the burden of taxation. War debt accrued during the French and Indian War exacerbated the problem and tempers flared. The breaking point came when British regulars marched toward Concord to confiscate the guns of the militia. Gage’s attempted gun grab sparked a revolution.

Perhaps it may be time to revisit history. “Those who don’t know history are destined to repeat it.” (Edmund Burke)

Before we get to this weekend’s rally in support of our 2nd Amendment rights, let’s first look at why the rally was needed in the first place.

We are facing seriously unique times.

For weeks now, since the mass murder in Parkland, Florida, gun-grabbing Leftists have parroted the sentiment that something must be done about “gun violence,” someone must pay. The consensus of caterwauling Lefties is that the NRA, gun manufacturers, and law-abiding gun owners must make restitution for the actions of madmen. The assault on the 2nd Amendment has been unrelenting.

Those with deep pockets who are helping to finance the gun control movement are using the students of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School as pawns to lob grenades at law-abiding gun owners and the NRA. Two students of Stoneman Douglas, David Hogg and Emma Gonzalez, have been militant in claiming that 2nd Amendment advocates are to blame. They have called for the NRA to “disband,” described NRA campaign contributions as “blood money” and even labeled the NRA and its supporters as murderers.

Sheriff Scott Israel has taken the opportunity to blame the NRA instead of accepting some responsibility for how his department dropped the ball regarding Nikolas Cruz. The day of Cruz’s carnage, four Broward County Deputies hovered around their vehicles rather than neutralize the threat. Prior to February 14th, Israel’s department received numerous complaints about Cruz but failed to intercede.

The March For Our Lives rally on March 24th emphasized what the gun grabbers are ultimately after. The words of Delany Tarr, a student of Stoneman Douglas, encapsulate the gist regarding gun control measures, “when they give us an inch, we will take a mile.”

Maine Democratic gubernatorial candidate and former Speaker of the House, Mark Eves offered his perspective on the issue in a column for the Portland Press Herald. “There is one thing we don’t need here in Maine: the NRA. Stay out of our state. We don’t want you here. You’ve done enough. And we’ve had enough.”

Senator Mark Dion, a Democratic gubernatorial candidate, put forward legislation to address “gun violence.” In his testimony for LD 1884, “An Act To Create a Community Protection Order To Allow Courts To Prevent High-risk Individuals From Possessing Firearms,” Dion admits his bill might not be an effective deterrent. However, that truth doesn’t stop him from trying to steal your rights. He states, “Will this law prevent a mass shooting? I don’t know, none of us do, but if we can see the red ﬂags for what they are then we may have a chance to interrupt and stop what none of us want to see happen”.

Given all the “progressive” hype about gun control measures since February, it was refreshing to hear from likeminded patriots on Saturday in Augusta.

Special thanks to Tracilee Sullivan and her team of patriots from Americans for America, Maine:

God, family, and the right to self-preservation were the topics of those who spoke. The overall sentiment was that those who want to take guns from law-abiding citizens could come and get them. “To the divisive forces that would take freedom away,” the implication being a reference to Charlton Heston’s “from my cold dead hands.”

Law abiding gun owners should not be penalized for the actions of criminals.

In cities across the country, hundreds of thousands gathered to express the truth of the matter and to respond emphatically to the mantra of the Left; the issue is not about “gun violence,” but rather evil people. Nothing wards of the advance of wickedness better than good people who have the wherewithal to take proactive measures with worthwhile tools like guns.

Those who desire honest answers to the problems we face would do well to contemplate the words of many who spoke on Saturday.

The event began with prayer and the pledge of allegiance. Audience members from all over the state were given a chance to speak their piece. Children, mothers, fathers, and veterans spoke.

Dr. Mark Holbrook, Republican candidate for U.S. House of Representatives in Maine’s 1st Congressional District, asked the crowd to look beyond the dome of the Capitol building “to the arms of the Almighty God who gives us our rights that the men and women of this building try to take away.”

He proceeded to address how rights have been eroded. A member of the crowd remarked that what has been done is tyranny. Shouts of “tyranny” could be heard coming from various members of the gathering.

One man shouted, “We’re not gonna stand for that shit!.”

The crowd cheered.

Dr. Holbrook continued, “Our freedom of speech has been squashed, especially if you have a conservative point of view…we have to prevail against the assault on our freedoms, to win we must first identify our opponents…for more than fifty years progressive liberals have been incrementally chipping away at our rights…their end game is to eliminate the Constitution and create a socialist country.”

A member of the crowd shouted, “Socialism sucks!”

Many laughed in affirmation.

One man opened with scripture, quoting from the Old Testament, 2 Chronicles 7:14:

“If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”

The man mentioned, “It is time for folks at the top to take a knee and ask God to heal our land.”

Commissioner Mary Mayhew, a Republican gubernatorial candidate, remarked about the Left’s agenda to grow government and to take away our liberties. She expressed that as DHHS Commissioner she received death threats. Mayhew explained that when she inquired about addressing the death threats, she was told that there was nothing to be done. A crime hadn’t been committed.

She said, “That’s ok, I’ve got my gun!”

Mayhew concluded, “We have got to stand tall. There is a lot of emotion right now.” She expressed that often legislators are reactive and “pass laws in response to emotion.”

Sheriff Scott Nichols of Franklin County delivered a great “history lesson” beginning with the attempt by the British to disarm the colonists in 1775. He laid out the establishment of the Bill of Rights and defined the terms of the Second Amendment.

He expressed his love for the AR-15 and asked, “Why do I own an AR-15?”

Nichols responded, “Because it is my right to.” He warned the crowd that the agenda of the Left is about gun control.

His speech was so well received that a man could be heard yelling, “Why the hell aren’t you running for office?”

Sen. Garrett Mason, Senate Majority Leader and a Republican gubernatorial candidate said, “It is really nice to see a bunch of Stars and Stripes and Gadsden flags instead of pink hats and all kinds of other things that I won’t mention because there are kids here.”

He continued, “Thank you all for coming out and supporting what we all know is a God-given right, not a government granted privilege…the Second Amendment of this country is under assault by Left-wing organizations like the Maine People’s Alliance, by mayors from big cities who have failed miserably with gun controls, and from Leftists who would take your privileges and rights away from you. We have to continue to fight…to make sure what we have now is preserved for the future”.

Shawn Moody, another Republican gubernatorial candidate, started off with, “It is so cold today that politicians have their hands in their own pockets for a change.”

He spoke of his business stating, “People ask me, how do you keep that going?”

He answered, “We kept telling our story.”

Moody continued, “Why do we have such opposition and ignorance regarding our Constitution, especially our Second Amendment rights? We stopped telling our story”.

He added, “They have taken our story out of the curriculum. They have taken our story out of the classrooms. We have a whole generation that hasn’t heard our story.”

He remarked about the attitude of Mainers, “Here in Maine we don’t take too kindly to rich outsiders telling us how to live (referring to Bloomberg’s multi-million dollar campaign to impose a gun registry upon gun owners of Maine).

He added, “You tell me who in the society is allowed to own firearms and I will tell you who is in charge of that society. If we lose our right to keep and bear arms, it won’t be long until we find ourselves subjects in our own lands.”

Alicia Weber led the crowd in singing the Star-Spangled Banner. There was so much patriotism that the last stanza of the anthem was sung:

O thus be it ever when freemen shall standBetween their lov’d home and the war’s desolation!
Blest with vict’ry and peace may the heav’n rescued land
Praise the power that hath made and preserv’d us a nation!
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto – “In God is our trust,”
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O’er the land of the free and the home of the brave.

No one took a knee. Everybody stood proudly and most tried to sing along, for the first stanza at least.

The crowd of eight hundred, or so that showed up on Saturday is but a small representation of the thousands of gun owners across the state. We need all hands on deck.

There is a myriad of issues that threaten to undo us. We must be vigilant if our children are to be truly free. Trillions of dollars of debt, an upside-down culture, lackluster leadership from most of our legislators, and an incessant progressive army do not make for an easy road ahead.

There is a great mess to be reckoned with. The longer we wait for good men to show up, the more difficult the cleanup will be.

The last stanza of Ralph Waldo Emerson’s “Concord Hymn” is fitting:

“Spirit, that made those heroes dare

To die, and leave their children free,

Bid Time and Nature gently spare

The shaft we raise to them and thee”.

Raise the banner high patriots. Keep applying pressure. Study the issues and spread the word.

It is time to take our country back, if for no other reason than for our kids.

Happy Patriot’s Day!

James Mosher is a husband, father, veteran and patriot who appreciates the cost of freedom. He sees the storm clouds on the horizon and writes so that others may be prepared.

If you would like to reach James about The Mosher Minutes, e-mail Maine First Media at; [email protected]

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Feel good-do nothing bills such as LD 1884, sponsored by Sen. Dion, is a perfect example of the Left’s caterwauling which he’s been doing since he was the Cumberland County Sheriff before [self]serving in the legislature.

Sen. Mason’s “pink hat” comment was spot on. Conservatives are growing tired of all the whining on the Left on every conceivable Marxist/globalist anti-American issue. It’s very refreshing to see what we already know which is that good folks are out there who aren’t going to take their BS any more.